For our summer holiday this year Chris and I spent most of the week in Tenby,…
Gardens to visit
Visiting other gardens is one of the best ways to expand your gardening and garden design knowledge, and to gain inspiration. Here are some photo articles of the ones I’ve been to.
Peat free plants at Tissington Nursery, Peak District
“People come to us specifically because we grow in peat free compost,” says Mairi Longdon, who…
How to create carpets of colour, Cluny House Gardens, Scotland
One sunny afternoon in late-April, while working on a remote landscape design in Scotland, I took…
Early spring flowering plants at Stillingfleet Lodge Garden and Nursery, York
Stillingfleet Lodge, on the outskirts of York, is a garden that has been managed organically for…
Atmosphere and wonder at York Gate Garden, Leeds, Yorkshire
Chris and I visited York Gate Garden on the outskirts of Leeds in Yorkshire and were…
Midgley Open Gardens, near Hebden Bridge
I’ve been visiting Chris’ family for the past 15 odd years or so near Hebden Bridge…
Trials and titillations at RHS Wisley after lockdown
I love RHS Wisley. I will always credit the garden and the teams who manage it…
15 best free gardens to visit in London
Looking for maximum planty wonder without spending a penny? Then check out my fave London garden…
From the streets: London’s green spaces in Lockdown
Everyone has been coping with the last month in their own way, surreal is a word…
From the streets: Bonnington Square, Vauxhall in Autumn
Last Sunday I gave myself the morning off writing projects and decided to visit Bonnington Square…
Garden of Medicinal Plants at The Royal College of Physicians
I’ve been interested in visiting the Royal College of Physicians’ garden of medicinal plants for quite…
The Newt in Somerset
On our trip to Somerset we popped into the Newt Hotel garden to visit the newly…
Oudolf Field at Hauser and Wirth, Somerset
I’ve been wanting to visit the Hauser & Wirth art gallery in Somerset to see garden…
14 Things at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019
It’s thoroughly enjoyable at Chelsea Flower Show this year. I’ve placed bets (in my head) on…
Cassa de Serralves, Porto
Earlier this year Chris and I visited Porto, Portugal and during the trip popped to the…
The gardener who keeps on giving
The first time I met Penny Snell she handed me a glass of wine and a…
Power of propagation, Ulting Wick (NGS)
I don’t remember when I first started following Philippa Burrough on Twitter. Philippa is the owner, gardener…
Amazing scenes as Porto’s streets are swallowed by Ipomoea
Earlier this year Chris and I visited the cool city of Porto, Portugal. Within the first…
National Dahlia Society Annual Show 2018, RHS Wisley
Is it just me or are there fewer yellow dahlias at the National Dahlia Society Annual…
Inspiration at Scampston Hall, Yorkshire
Reuniting with a friend at Scampston Hall and being inspired by shrubs and views as much…
Good husbandry goes a long way in small gardens – The Watch House, Broadstairs
A few weeks ago, the day before we jetted off to Portugal, Chris and I hopped…
From the streets: Porto – city of fusion
Chris and I have been staying in Porto, neither of us having been to Portugal before.…
Fibrex Nurseries, Warwickshire
If you’re into ferns you’ll certainly have heard of Fibrex Nurseries, they also hold the national collections…
Sir Harold Hillier Arboretum and Gardens
Last week Chris and I popped to the New Forest for a couple of days and…
Bombay Sapphire Distillery: making gin from herbs and other botanicals amidst jaw dropping design
Chris and I popped to the New Forest for a night and stopped at the new…
Gutted Clandon Park house open again to the public
“It’s the most real National Trust we’ve been to,” Chris sums up exactly how I felt…
RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2018 – first impressions
This year I’ve spent a couple of days mooching about RHS Chelsea Flower Show during construction.…
The 99 Topiary Yew Trees of St. Mary’s church in Painswick, Cotswolds
At the weekend Chris and I attended the most beautiful wedding of our friends George and…
From the streets: American Embassy prairie garden – first winter
Chris and I often walk to Vauxhall from our Clapham flat to visit the new things…
Behind-the-scenes of McBean’s Orchids, Sussex
“We’re going in!” I hit the car breaks, indicated and abruptly swerved into the driveway. “ORCHIDS”…
From the streets: A walk in the winter sunshine
The interplay of nature and humanity is endlessly fascinating to observe. Nowhere is it more obvious…
10 moments of exotic garden genius in Kent
One of the most enjoyable days for me this year was visiting my friend Philip Oostenbrink,…
Victorian plant fashion at Lanhydrock, Cornwall
A report from our brief visit to the immaculately preserved Lanhydrock house and garden owned by…
The Lost Gardens of Heligan
Heligan, a garden established in the mid-18th to the 19th centuries by the Cornish Tremayne family…
8 Glasshouses to visit in London and why
London has some of the best glasshouses in the world and some of the most interesting…
National Dahlia Society Annual Show 2017 at RHS Wisley
It’s been three years since I first set eyes on a dinner plate Dahlia at the…
Exciting exotics at 24 Grove Park, Camberwell open on the NGS
We’re particularly spoilt for exciting gardens in South London with a lean toward the exotic as…
Shanks Pony Nursery in Vauxhall
One of my coolest finds in London has to be the discovery of Shanks Pony Nursery…
Our first NGS open day: a weather miracle, cake and allotment cut flowers
Opening our garden to the public to raise money for the National Garden Scheme (NGS) was…
56 Photos of Californian Gardens: from Facebook and Google to Hollywood via Alcatraz
California is a magical place, Chris and I love it. One minute you can be in…
From the streets: California
Chris and I have just come back from a trip to LA, Vegas and Malibu visiting…
Solstice in the city – Clapham Common
I can be my own worst enemy sometimes, in fact, a lot of the time. I…
At the end of the earth, plants – Prospect Cottage, Dungeness
An upfront confession: I’ve never seen nor heard of any of Derek Jarman’s films. A film director…
Plantaholics Anonymous
[Warning: major plant geekage ahead] One of the best things to happen over the last year…
RHS Wisley in late April
I made a painfully short trip to RHS Wisley at lunch today in between visiting nurseries…
Marrakesh (Part Five): Le Jardin Secret by Tom Stuart-Smith
One tip I’d like to share is: do not visit more than two gardens in one…